“Well why don’t you just let Rory decide?”

When Rory says she has to learn a sport for school, with golf as one of the options available, Emily suggests that Richard teach her golf that weekend. Lorelai begs her mother privately not to manipulate Richard and Rory to go golfing together, as she believes Richard doesn’t want to teach her, and Rory doesn’t want to go.

At this point neither Richard nor Rory have displayed any enthusiasm for Emily’s plan, but neither have shown any real distaste for it either, so Lorelai’s views aren’t backed up by anything concrete. No wonder Emily calls her out on it, saying that Lorelai is frightened that Rory might enjoy herself with her grandfather.

Once again, we get the picture that Lorelai often doesn’t seek out Rory’s opinions because she believes she already knows how she will feel – she will feel just as Lorelai does. Emily’s pointed suggestion that Lorelai might actually try letting Rory decide for herself is a real slap in the face for Lorelai. She has always depicted her mother as controlling, but in this case it is she who is having trouble relinquishing control over her daughter.

Lorelai stops the conversation, unable to face the fact that she might be more like her mother than she realises.